California Kids - November 2016

November 2016

www.valcomnews.com | ß CRAFTS, 7 | ß BOOK REPORT, 8 | ß WHO WROTE THAT, 11 | ß WHAT’S HAPPENING, 13

Living the dream: Elk Grove native discusses life as a Disney on Ice performer

By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com

The magic of Disney on Ice sparks dreams within the youngest children. “Mommy, can I be a skater like that when I grow up?” Or, “How can I be Elsa and skate like that?”

My daughter, age 4, undoubtedly isn’t the only one asking mom those questions. And, of course, I say, “You can be anything you want to be if you work hard at it.”

Truly, those moments of inspiration are to be fostered.

For Elk Grove native Garrett Uyeta-Buckley that time in his life came a little later. But as he proves, you’re never too old to follow your dreams.

A 2002 graduate of Laguna Creek High School, Garrett started skating in 1998 after getting the winter Olympic bug. “It inspired me to buy some skates, strap them on and then start skating.” With countless after school trips to Iceland on Del Paso Boulevard where he first

started taking group classes and then to Skatetown in Roseville, Garrett’s dedication to the sport continued though he knew deep down the Olympics were out of reach for him personally.

“A lot of skaters start at 4-, 5-, or 6-years old and I feel like you get See Disney on Ice, page 3

www.valcomnews.com Publisher: David Herburger Editor: Monica Stark Contributing Writers: Susan Roberts, Bitsy Kemper, Carmel Mooney Art Director: John Ochoa Graphic Designer: Annin Greenhalgh Advertising: Steve Crowley 916-429-9901 Cover photo courtesy Metro Newspaper Service California Kids! is published monthly and distributed to more than 1,000 locations in the Sacramento Valley, including all of Sacramento County, and portions of Yolo (Davis and Woodland), Placer (Rocklin and Roseville), El Dorado (Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville) counties.

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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

Disney on Ice: Continued from page 2

a max output when you start that young. I started at age 13 or 14, so it was an uphill battle. But, you can start a sport at any age and I ended up loving it and that brought me to Disney, which I find really exciting. Living the dream: Not many people can say that. Even my parents are saying they are happy I am doing what am doing. If you are doing what you love, you’re really lucky.”

In college at Fullerton State, Garrett studied kinesiology and kept on skating. His coach at the time suggested he give Disney a shot, so he sent in an audition tape and got hired the following year.

Traveling the world from all around the great states up to Canada, down to Mexico and overseas to Europe and Africa, Garrett says skating for Disney on Ice is “definitely an all-over-the-world experience.” But he’s set to come back home and you can catch him when he returns to his old stomping grounds... well the greater Sacramento area, that is, on Nov. 3-6 at the Golden 1 Arena. For the friends who have remained in Sacramento, Garrett invites them to the show, as well as his family, of course. “It’s a good week at home and it’s busy, but it’s good busy.”

The show is Passport to Adventure and if you catch a glimpse of a cute starfish during The Little Mermaid segment -- that’s Garrett. “When you see the starfish costume, you will instantly know. I find it to be the cutest costume on the show. It just has brightness and joy.”

Passport to Adventure features Mickey and Minnie Mouse as your tour guides, as you embark to the timeless worlds of Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Frozen.

Like many children who love Disney movies, Garrett enjoyed Peter Pan in his youth and performing for Disney on Ice, especially during Peter Pan segments (when he plays John Darling or a pirate) -- those moments really brings him back.

“It’s linking my childhood to now, which I find cool,” he says.

Now seeing the excitement on other children’s eyes, brings Garrett much joy and satisfaction.

“I think we are here to entertain them and inspire them, like I was inspired by the Olympics. I think if we are getting that – that is a good thing.”

Now in his sixth year with Disney, Garrett said he has “no idea” when he will complete this journey. “So far, I’m really loving it. I haven’t entertained anything else.

As long as I can strap on skates, I will want to do it.”

If you go: What: Disney on Ice presents Passport to Adventure When: Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6 at noon and 4 p.m.

Where: Golden 1 Center, 547 L St., Sacramento, CA 95814 Tickets: Ticket prices start at just $20! Special Opening Night discount tickets available for 50 percent off for select seating (not valid for VIP/ Front Row levels)

All seats are reserved; tickets are available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or visit the Golden 1 Center Box Office. Ticket prices are subject to change; additional venue/ticketing fees may apply. Visit http://presale. disneyonice.com for future shows.

ADMISSION

$5 FOR ALL AGES

CASH OR CHECKS ONLY AT THE DOOR (CHILDREN TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER ARE FREE)

NOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

Opinion

Why I’m voting “yes” on Measure G

By ELLEn cocHranE

imagine Hiram Johnson having a proud marching band and drum line that lures kids from South and East Sac. imagine Johnson having a band that pumps up the team, enters contests and brings the gift of musical band training to high school. For those of us of a certain age, we lived in a Sacramento that had those things. But the recession and the über focus on testing helped us lose our way. We lost our music programs.

We lost our summer programs that supported cultural, social and emotional learning. We need schools that value art and music and work to reach all children through meaningful support programs.

What does any of this have to do with Measure G? Easy. Measure G raises money for music, arts and, other school activities that lure kids into a harmonized school culture. the money is just for ScUSD and goes directly to the kids. it would raise between six and seven million every year for our schools, and would cost property owners about $6 a month. an oversight committee will ensure that no money is siphoned off for other purposes. in the cluster of propositions and measures on the ballot, Measure G is specifically for Sacramento kids and their well-being.

Last week at Hiram Johnson coday anthony set up the single snare drum.

He beat a quick tattoo, taped on a note that said “play me” and walked

“I’d like to get a summer program together for the band. We need to get ready for fall, but the needs are great. A band needs tight organization, lots of community support.”

–Cody Anthony away. the students at Hiram Johnson were in the middle of Homecoming week and there were ample lunchtime activities on the quad, but the solo drum caught their attention. anthony waited and watched. When he heard a peck on the drum he ambled back and started the conversation. this is a conversation that has been mum for many years. about six years ago the Hiram Johnson band tooted its last note and the program shut down breaking a proud tradition of Warrior musicians and leaving one of ScUSD’s big five comprehensive high schools with no marching band program. this year the new Johnson principal was able to scrape together funds to hire coday anthony to teach band. the Will c Wood principal also hired him to teach a band class. anthony is a performance musician with a love of teaching and the passion to start from scratch.

“We now have more than 15 students in the drum line at Johnson and we started at zero in September. i’m focusing on the drum line at the high school while i build the middle school programs,” said anthony.

“Holding the snare drum challenge at lunch was great. Students were really specific about their questions: Is the class accredited? What exactly are you creating? When is the practice? there was lots of laughter and fun. the kids really gave the drumming a shot. i sign up a lot of students that day.” anthony travels from Will c Wood Middle School in the morning where he teaches beginning band to Johnson in the afternoon. there are now more than 60 kids in both programs. at the high school he teaches band and a digital music course, which gives a survey of the industry and focuses on modern day synthesizers and software. Students in this class group together by genre and will write and produce their own creative pieces as part of the class.

Johnson’s renewed commitment to the arts is a breath of fresh air. anthony attracted the attention of Johnson alumni who dropped by homecoming and jammed in the stands, playing the fight song, and hung out and met the students.

Marching band is linked to the football schedule and anthony is already

thinking about next year, “i’d like to get a summer program together for the band. We need to get ready for fall, but the needs are great. a band needs tight organization, lots of community support. i’d have to get food and college mentors hooked into the program. i’m starting the conversation now.” as his band grows, so does community interest. anthony is in the process of setting up a band booster organization. But boosters and sales only go so far. Measure G will help anthony reach his goal of getting uniforms for the band and updating some of the decades old instruments.

What will taxpayers who make this investment in youth receive? they’ll get quieter streets, safer neighborhoods, and a general upgrade in their communities. adult voters are the moral guardians of our culture. to be able to insure that kids get exposure to high functioning role models like anthony is a win-win. Measure G is an opportunity. a comprehensive high school like Hiram Johnson becomes a focal point for the community again. Filled with music and student learning. Filled with proud Johnson Warriors. that’s why i’m voting Yes on Measure G. Ellen Cochrane is a trustee with the Sacramento City Unified School District.

She can be reached at (916) 457-2725.

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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

Featuring some of the animals and critters at NatureFest 2016

By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com

Promoting science and nature education and outdoor recreation NatureFest, Effie Yeaw’s largest family event of the year, held on Sunday, Oct. 9, enabled visitors to learn more about local organizations that support the community. Live animal shows, kids activities, demonstrations, and guided nature hikes were all big hits.

Connecting nature among the young and young-at-heart, NatureFest really provided a platform for event goers to learn about the critters of the Sacramento Valley and beyond.

Among animals at the event that handler Lynette Lyon showed on the main stage included a fennec fox named Chewy, a porcupine named Sir Lancelot, and a galago named Darwin.

Fennec foxes have large ears and Chewy’s were no exception. Chewy’s large ears can hear a mouse’s heartbeat under the sand. He got his name after a sad incident in which his dad attacked him just a few hours after he was born. Missing the tip of his nose, he was called, “the chewed up one” and later, hence, Chewy. Native to the Sahara, fennec foxes, Lynette said, can go their whole lifetimes without drinking water and their average life expectancies are six years old. Chewy, however, gets water daily.

Sir Lancelot boasts about 10,000 quills, compared to the natives that have about 30,000 quills. Showing “the right way” to pet a trained porcupine,

Lynette said Sir Lancelot has sharp but not barbed quills. Primarily a herbivore, porcupines do like to chew on skeletons and antlers. Their best sense is their touch. With their whiskers they can feel their way around and their webbed feet can help them swim.

Lynette also brought out a 10month-old galago named Darwin. Related to lemurs, galagos are primates that likes to hunt large rats.

Also a big hit were the animals brought from Wild Things, an organization founded in 1987 for the “purpose of housing and caring for displaced wildlife and educating the public with a message of conservation and appreciation for natural wonders,” according to the website.

Providing a home for more than 60 species of wildlife, Wild Things representatives bring them to wildlife education presentations, like NatureFest.

“Our h36ope and desire, as we share these animals with the future generations, is that through meeting these animals and hearing their stories, they will gain a greater appreciation for the natural environment and thus be more likely to have an environmental conscience and make decisions that will benefit the earth.”

At the Wild Things presentation, Donatello, an alligator snapping turtle, generated oos and ahhhs when it came out of the cage. Released by someone in a golf course pond, the turtle thrived in that habitat but upset the balance of nature there. Since then Wild Things has been taking care of him.

Photo by Monica Stark

Shown here are students from Mira Loma High School who participate in the Arcade Creek Project. From left to right (back row): Edward Jung, Andrea Leibenhaut, Warsan Ali, Mireya Sanders, Tenley Ong, Abigail Torrez, Lauren Jansen Shown front three, left to

Another Wild Things animal was Boo, a Western Screech Owl, who fell out of his nest and broke his wing, taking away his gift of flight -- which is why he’s at the Wild Things facility.

Out in nature, Western Screech Owls eat one to two small rodents a day.

Then, there was the sweet Hobo, an estimated 40-year-old former organ grinder monkey who had his teeth removed for shows. To eat, Hobo usually smashes his food before taking a bite. The presenter reminded the audience that monkeys are not pets and that they much rather be in the wild.

Michael Starkey, a Sacramento native, presented on behalf of Save the Frogs, an amphibian conservation organization. The organization states on its website that one-third of the world’s frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians are on the verge of extinction, and 200 species have completely disappeared in recent years. To prevent further extinctions through a combination of methods, the organization provides environmental education, legal deSee NatureFest, page 9

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Congratulations to Carrie Meagher Relles—Teacher of the Year

By Pat Lynch

Kindergarten teacher Carrie Meagher Relles has been named Teacher of the Year. Relles, who works at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School in East Sacramento, credits collaboration with other teachers as one essential key to her success.

“When I became a teacher I remember professors and mentors telling me most new teachers leave their profession some time during their first five years.” But Relles remained. Why? “I had wonderful mentors, support providers, principals and partner teachers, so I stayed in the profession.”

She early on developed a teaching philosophy: “It’s simple: all students can succeed.” She states that as long as she keeps this principle in mind, her kids do well. What about testing and grades? “Anyone with a teaching credential or children of their own knows success isn’t always measured by test scores.” She provides two examples of the student success for which she strives: one is “when a student is able to explain his new learning to a peer in his own words.” The other is “when a concept finally clicks for a student who struggles.”

Relles has not always taught in desirable zip codes like that of Phoebe Hearst. “I’ve worked at three very different schools in three very different communities. “Kids change year to year and I’ve had to change my strategies and methods depending on my students and their needs. What hasn’t changed however, is my belief that all kids can succeed.”

Teachers like this engage kids early on. A kindergarten teacher has a highly sensitive undertaking. She (or he) has to make the child feel welcome

and safe. She has to know that many children enter that first classroom with trepidation. They worry about making friends, getting in the right line, learning new rules in a new world.

For most, kindergarten is their first entrance into a society of peers. Teachers like Relles understand the delicacy of the introduction they give to this new world—its learning demands and social expectations. They understand how big and noisy and alien school can seem. One education study (N.Y. Times, July 27, 2010) undertaken to assess the value of standout kindergarten teachers estimated their salary worth as about $320,000 a year.”

Relles asserts that “teaching is not just a job. Teachers do not leave work and forget about it until the next morning. Good teachers are always working. We are thinking through lessons, worrying about at-risk students, grading papers, emailing parents, and planning.” Conscious of the great importance of the work (for some kids, teachers are the only consistent moral guardians of the culture), Relles freely admits that it is a difficult profession.

“But there is nothing better,” she says, “than seeing a child become an independent reader, or welcoming a room full of nervous 5 year olds to their new classroom.”

Our schools are collective learning environments and Relles thinks the teaching profession can be as well. “I believe the best way for teachers to improve their practice is from each other.” She says the most productive and powerful results arrive when teachers “watch each other teach.”

It makes sense. Doctors in training enter surgery theaters to watch operations, artists and actors study the technique of masters. Teachers who

Photo by Ellen Cochrane

Shown here is Teacher of the Year: Carrie Meagher Relles with SCUSD Superintendent José Banda.

study other teachers are bound to pick up useful techniques. Years ago, when Jaime Escalante came to Hiram Johnson High School to teach, the school built a special room with a one-way mirror so teachers could observe him in action.

Relles has profited from this collegial approach to her profession and thinks it should “become common practice among teachers. We need to let our guard down and welcome each other into our classrooms in

order to make our teaching the best that it can be.”

East Sacramento School Board Trustee Ellen Cochrane says, “Carrie Relles earned her Teacher of the Year award because she is determined to excel. She continually seeks to improve on her abundant natural talent. She’s collegial, open, creative, adaptable. No experience is wasted on her. I think she embodies what we all want in a teacher—somebody who knows what she’s doing and loves what she’s doing.”

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Awar d Winin g Balloo n Artis t CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

Make it yourself!

Autumn Wreath and Tree

M

ake this pretty autumn wreath and tree using simple craft cupboard supplies.

Use real leaves as templates, or design your own.

Handprint Turkey

H

andprint crafts are a super way to record your child’s age and size forever. This colorful handprint turkey makes a charming Thanksgiving project or gift.

You will need: 2 small paper plates Brown paint colored paper Wiggle eyes Glue stick

You will need: A cardboard cone (we had a ready made one but can roll your own) Red, yellow and orange card Gold pen PVA glue (white glue) Instructions: Cut out a stack of leaf shapes from the colored card. You can use our design your own leaves, or trace around real leaves which you have collected from outside. Use the gold pen to draw veins on the leaves.

For the tree: Bend the leaves and glue them in a spiral around the cone starting from the base of the cone.

For the wreath: Glue one side of the leaf onto another and overlap them, bending them around to form a circle.

Apple Collage Quick to make but great fun for younger children, this apple collage makes a super autumn or healthy eating craft.

Instructions: Paint the two plates with brown paint and leave to dry.

Cut out lots of handprints from colored paper. Glue your handprints to one of the paper plates to form the feathers.

From the second plate cut out an “hour glass” shape to be the turkey’s body. Glue this to the front of the feathered plate. Add two legs and a beak cut from orange paper and the wiggle eyes.

Squash Pilgrim

I

sn’t this squash pilgrim just too cute? This craft is a super way to combine a “harvest” craft and a Thanksgiving craft, and it’s fun to do, too! Imagine a row of these on the mantelpiece...

You will need: A squash Black, white and brown paint

You will need: Scraps of red paper (tissue, wrapping, junk mail etc) Small scrap of green paper PVA / White glue Paper plate Cover the back of the paper plate with glue. Rip the scraps of red paper into small pieces and glue on.

When the whole plate is covered, paint another layer of glue over the top to stick down any loose edges.

Cut out two leaves and a stalk from the green paper and glue to the edge of the plate.

Instructions: Paint a black hat, body and face onto your squash and leave to dry. Add the white shirt and the brown hat band.

Use your squash as a unique Thanksgiving decoration!

Crafts courtesy of: www.Activity Village.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy NOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

THE BOOK REPORT

Holiday Stories Miracle on 133rd Street, by Sonia Manzano, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman he holidays are here and many stories appear (Atheneum Books for Yong Readers, ages 4-8) each year to entertain, enrich—and maybe A young family that immigrated from Puerto Rico calm down—the young ones. Some stories feels cramped in their small apartment. When they go may become family traditions deepening a child’s to prepare their Christmas roast, the oven is too small. sense of family and celebration. This year I’ve in- The family decides to bake it at a pizza restaurant. On cluded a totally-for-fun adaptation of Goldilocks and their way to the pizza restaurant, neighbors in their the Three Bears which the entire family will enjoy. apartment and in stores along the way all share their

holiday ‘stresses’. When the roast arrives, it’s aromas Sharing the Bread, An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiv- relax everyone, and the young family invites them over ing Story, by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jill to share their feast. A wonderful story sharing all the McElmurry (Schwartz & Wade Books, ages 4-8) usual holiday commotions and sharing love over a Written with soft rhyme, this story is a delight meal. The loose colorful illustrations highlight the fun to read, highlighting the love shared as each family and frivolities of the holidays. The neighbors share member contributes to the Thanksgiving dinner. numerous snippets of Christmas; readers are bound Set in the 1800’s, the story begins with Mama get- to find one familiar to their experience. ting the pot to prepare the turkey.

“Mama, fetch the cooking pot.

Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein, by Amanda Fetch our turkey-cooking pot.

Peet and Andrea Troyer, illustrated by Christine Big and old and black and squat.

Davenier (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, Mama, fetch the pot.” ages 4-8) In clear, simple, up-beat verses readers follow In this poignant tale, Young Rachel sees all the father building the fire, daughter making the bright lights, decorated trees, and gifts on display to bread, and the kids making decorative placemats. celebrate Christmas and wants to celebrate it, but her The illustrations show worn out grandparents and Jewish family doesn’t and she must accept that. younger kids caring for an infant, all the typical When Rachel goes to a Chinese restaurant for kinds of things that go on at a large family Thanks- dinner on Christmas, she sees her friends, Lucy giving event. A warm, cheerful family story which Deng, Mike Rashid and Amina Singh, who also will soon become a holiday tradition! don’t celebrate Christmas. Learning about their holiday celebrations, she reasons, “why feel so bad Balloons Over Broadway, The True Story of the Puppe- about one little old day like Christmas?” teer of Macy’s Parade, by Melissa Sweet (Houghton Truly a wonderful book about diversity! An eye Mifflin Harcourt, ages 4-8) opener for those who celebrate Christmas, to reAnthony “Tony” Sarg loved to see how things mind them it is a religious holiday, not celebrated by worked when he was a boy. At age six, he announced everyone, and to be aware of cultural differences. he was going to be a marionette man. When his father asked him to feed the chickens at 6:30 in the Santa Claus and the Three Bears, by Maria Momorning—every day!—Tony rigged up a system that dugno, illustrated by Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer he could do so from his bed, and sleep in! Impressed, (HarperCollins, ages 3-8) Based on the classic Goldilocks and the Three his father never asked him to do another chore. As a young man Tony began making marionettes and Bears, this delightful story stays true to the origiended up in New York City. When Macy heard nal story, adapting it perfectly to fit Santa and the about Tony, he asked him to design a ‘puppet parade’ Christmas holidays. While the author weaves in a for the store’s holiday windows. The first outdoor few fresh ideas, it feels like an original story, not an parade was for employees and was a hit. adaptation. Rendered in watercolor and gouache, Brilliant illustrations take the reader back in time. The well-illustrated characters draw in readers into the book includes a photo from an early parade balloon. humorous holiday tensions.

By Susan L. Roberts

T

Children will delight in discovering the similarities and differences between this and the classic storylines. Santa Claus and the Three Bears is a book that deserves a place on the shelf with the family’s Christmas classics. Reviewer’s Pick of the Month Susan L. Roberts (www.Books4theCuriousChild.com) lives in Sacramento, CA where she reads dozens of picture books each month and reviews the best to help parents and teachers find books that will inspire and develop a child’s curiosity and love of life. An aspiring picture book author, she hopes to be published soon.

CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

NatureFest Continued from page 5

fense, land acquisitions, lobbying for necessary environmental protections that currently do not exist and conducting and funding scientific research.

“People don’t know frogs are going extinct,” Starkey said. But when they are found with deformities like “many leg,” Starkey said those are warnings that the ecosystem is not doing well. “They’re like thermometers in an ecosystem. They’re like the canary in a coal mine.”

Recently Starkey was in Ghana and half of his team came down with malaria -- which was another reminder of frogs’ importance on this planet -- that they eat flies and mosquitoes.

“All of us have so much power -- where our food comes from, where we drive.”

As an aside, mark your calendar for April 29, 2017: Save the Frogs Day, the world’s largest day of amphibian education and conservation action.

NOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

Also at NatureFest were students from Mira Loma High School who are working on an ongoing project monitoring Arcade Creek, aptly named the Arcade Creek Project.

Arcade Creek is the largest urban watershed in Northern California and this project is run entirely by the students and science instructors at Mira Loma High School. From laboratory research to hands-on field studies, the Arcade Creek Project allows students to work in real-world situations that prepare them for college and careers beyond. With 346 students, 4,608 hours logged (this semester) and 50,000-plus hours logged (since the founding), for 19 years, the Creek Project has served the community by monitoring the health of the Arcade Creek. The Creek Project has 11 studies, spanning laboratory analysis, field research, community outreach, and habitat restoration. The Creek Project has won numerous awards, and inspired the creation of similar studies world-wide.

With its various activities and of course the live animals, NatureFest is the best.

How Healthy Are Your Kids Eyes?

Dr. James Korkos Now would be a good time to get your child’s eyes checked. Children face unique eye health challenges, including injury, infection, reading difficulties and increased nearsightedness.

According to the American Optometric Association, 80 percent of the learning a child does occurs through the eyes. The inability to see clearly can affect a child’s physical, mental and social development, influencing academic and athletic performance and, ultimately, selfesteem. Many times a child is unaware and won’t complain that their vision isn’t normal.

Early detection of vision problems is crucial, as untreated vision problems can impair development, impact learning, and possibly even lead to permanent vision loss.

Schedule an appointment for your child to receive a comprehensive eye examination. It’s also important to look for these signs of possible vision problems: · 3D movies: 3D movies require eyes to process information as a team, so difficulty viewing this type of content can be a sign of underlying vision issues. After watching a 3D movie, look for these “3D” signs of vision problems: discomfort, dizziness and the inability to appreciate 3D content.

If your child shows or talks about any of these signs, head to the eye doctor.

Squinting while reading or watching television: Ask your child if the text or screen is blurry or if reading gives them a headache.

A “yes” answer could be an indication of an underlying vision problem.

Difficulty hitting or catching a ball: If your child regularly misses or drops the ball, schedule an eye exam. Vision impairment might be impacting hand-eye coordination. · Clumsiness in sports or on the playground: This could be due to a lazy eye, otherwise known as amblyopia. Amblyopia is when one eye is favored over the other, which

can impact depth perception, making it difficult to assess objects in front of you.

Another factor that can affect your child’s eye health – and adult eye health – is digital eye strain, which is caused by frequent or prolonged use of computers, smartphones or tablets. Practice healthy vision habits by keeping computer screens and tablets about 30 inches away from the eyes, resting your eyes every 20 minutes; and blinking frequently. Also, it’s good to practice the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look at something 20 feet away.

In addition, remember that a school’s vision screening does not look for the same problems that a comprehensive eye exam does. A child’s first comprehensive eye exam should occur between 6 months and 12 months, again at age 3 and before entering school at age 5 or 6. A visit to an eye health professional can help detect conditions such as crossed eyes (strabismus), lazy eye, nearsightedness, farsightedness and stigmatism early, before visual development and learning is affected. Treatment may include glasses, patching and/or eye exercises.

For adults and children, a comprehensive eye exam also can uncover other health conditions not usually associated with the eyes, including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, elevated cholesterol and Crohn’s disease. A recent study by UnitedHealthcare found that 6 percent of these chronic conditions were first identified by eye care doctors. For some diseases, including multiple sclerosis and diabetes, eye care professionals identified 15 percent of study participants diagnosed with those chronic conditions.

Make an appointment for your child now.

In partnership with your child’s eye doctor, you can make sure your child is ready to learn.

Dr. James Korkos is the Northern California market medical director, UnitedHealthcare

Pro cyclist helps educate Sacramento youth about bicycle and helmet safety through public service campaign UnitedHealthcare employees and pro cycling team member Chris Jones delivered 100 bike helmets, several bikes and a bike safety lesson to the Edward Kemble Elementary School branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Jones discussed nutrition, the benefits of exercise, and bike safety with nearly 100 children at the event. He also signed autographs and demonstrated how to properly wear the helmets, as part of a public service campaign to encourage kids and adults to wear helmets when riding bikes.

Instructional public service videos featuring UnitedHealthcare’s Pro Cycling team are featured on the Ride Healthy section of the website: www. uhcprocycling.com.

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CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

Who wrote that?

KIDLIT CREATORS WHO MAKE KIDS WANT TO READ An interview with with Tim McCanna

By Bitsy Kemper

Who Wrote that? is a monthly column that profiles the talented authors and illustrators who bring children’s books to life.

B

ay-area-based author tim Mccanna is not afraid of learning. He majored in radio/tV/Film and minored in theatre at texas christian University.

He then attended nYU’s tisch School of the arts Graduate Musical theatre Writing Program. He thought that would prepare him for just about anything in the creative field.

But it didn’t prepare him for writing children’s books. “i’ve always wanted to create and entertain in one way or another,” said tim. “all my training and experience writing for various mediums might have made me a little over-confident when i first thought, ‘Maybe i’ll try writing for kids.’” He quickly learned what a tricky task it is to write a publishable picture book. “it takes lots of practice, persistence, and a willingness to change, cut, and rewrite your stories over and over again.”

His own practice, persistence and willingness to change paid off. tim’s second picture book, Bitty Bot, just came out this Fall. come 2017, he’ll have three more new books! in January, Watering comes out, followed by Barnyard Boogie in May, and then Jack B. Ninja in Fall 2017.

Bitsy: did you always want to be a writer? tim: Like many children’s writers, i developed an interest in picture books when i was reading to my kids every night. We didn’t have many books in our house, so i would go to the library and bring home piles of all kinds of picture books to entertain my kids—and me—at bedtime. that’s when i began to realize what an amazing art form it is. But before that, my background was in music. i wrote musicals for a few years in new York city and before that i wrote songs and performed in rock bands around the midwest. Looking back, i

Tim McCanna

had a tendency to write storysongs, and my time at nYU’s Musical theatre Writing Program helped build up my rhyming and dramatic writing skills. Writing picture books is really the perfect combination of all my writing experience.

So, i didn’t always know i wanted to be a picture book author, but it totally makes sense that i became one.

BK: How long did Bitty Bot take to get published? tM: i met my agent [caryn Wiseman at andrea Brown Literary agency] in 2011 at a conference. She kindly passed on the story i submitted to her, and rightfully so! it wasn’t very good. then, in 2014, i submitted the Bitty Bot manuscript to her and she liked it so much she signed me on and became my agent. a few weeks later, she sold Bitty Bot as a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books. (a second Bitty Bot book comes out in 2018.) i can see now that i actually needed a few more years of work before i was ready to have an agent. But that experience made me realize that “no” doesn’t necessarily mean “never” if you’re willing to keep trying and striving to improve your work.

BK: How did you come up with the Bitty Bot idea?

TM: I wrote the first draft of Bitty Bot five and a half years ago! at that time, i was still pretty new to writing picture books for kids. i’ve always loved robots, so one day i gave myself an assignment to write a rhyming story about robots. The very first words of the book came to me quickly: “in a busy robot town…” But then what? What are the busy

NOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

robots doing? i thought for a bit and considered words that rhyme with town and then added: “…bots begin to power down.” i had it! or at least i thought i did. I finished a draft about a group of nameless little bots that refused to go to bed. the original title was Bedtime Bots!

But the story didn’t quite click. three years later, i rewrote the text. i gave the main character a name—Bitty Bot—and it made all the difference.

BK: tell me about your author visits tM: i often play music at my readings. i traveled to Sacramento last year for the Scholarshare children’s Book Festival at Fairytale town, for Teeny Tiny Trucks. it was so much fun! While i was onstage, i was playing my ukulele and dancing the Hokey Pokey with about thirty kids. it was pretty crowded up there. at one point while doing the Hokey Pokey and turning myself around, i bonked a little girl on the head with my uke. i felt so bad!

But she just kept singing and dancing, so thankfully she was ok.

She’ll be the one thankful for all these great new books from tim Mccanna!

Bitsy Kemper is author of 15 children’s books. You may have seen Bitsy on CNN, heard her on national radio, noticed her quoted in a range of places from Parenting magazine to Writing Children’s Books for Dummies, or seen her work in countless newspapers, radio and TV stations across the U.S of A. Busy with three kids (four if you count her husband), she happily finds time to present at schools and writer conferences from CA to NY. Find out more at www.

BitsyKemper.com

LEARN MORE ABOUT TIM MCCANNA Website: www.timmccanna.com Twitter: @timmccanna

Meet Tim in person at the Mountain View Public Library’s Reading Day event on November 12 at 11:00am “Over the years I’ve been an actor, musician, musical theatre writer, graphic designer and dad. Now, I’m combining all those experiences into being a writer for children.”

A SAMPLING OF BOOKS BY TIM MCCANNA Teeny Tiny Trucks, Illustrated by Keith Frawley, Little Bahalia Publishing, 2013 Bitty Bot, Illustrated by Tad Carpenter, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2016 Watersong, Illustrated by Richard Smythe, Simon & Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books, January 2017 Barnyard Boogie!, Illustrated by Allison Black, Abrams Appleseed, May 2017 Jack B. Ninja, Illustrated by Stephen Savage, Scholastic Cartweel, Fall 2017 Boing!, Illustrated by Jorge Martin, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2018 Bitty Bot’s Big Beach Getaway, Illustrated by Tad Carpenter, Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2018

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Faces and Places:

Michaelmas festival at Camellia Waldorf portrayed inner struggle between dark and light Photos by Stephen Crowley

As the seasons change from long days of sunshine to darker, cooler days of fall and winter, the Camellia Waldorf School, located at 7450 Pocket Road, celebrated this transition on Friday, Sept. 30 on the new campus. The festival -- called Michaelmas -- also celebrates courage that marks the passage into the darker half of the year.

The event includes processions, banners, class presentations, costumes, and enor-

mous puppets in a pageant that artistically portrays the human inner struggle between dark and light. After the pageant, the community enjoyed a picnic lunch, beautiful cakes baked by class parents, and games. Michaelmas is a faculty-led event.

Parents provide support by baking cakes, organizing the cake procession, cutting and serving cake, cleaning up, and helping the faculty with games and in other areas as needed.

Ages 3½ thru adult Private piano instruction Over 30 years of teaching experience 12

piano-cat@myway.com

(916) 238-8072 CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

What’s Happening, Kids!

TUESDAY, NOV. 1 SAC ZOO ANNOUNCES WINTER HOURS: Admissions are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Zoo grounds open until 5 p.m. The zoo will be closed on Thanksgiving. 3930 West Land Park Drive; 808-5888.

CULT CLASSICS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY: The Goonies: Join the first Tuesday of every month for a screening of a cult or forgotten classic. November’s movie is “The Goonies,” starring Sean Astin and Josh Brolin. Seven young friends from a small Northwest town find themselves on a thrilling underground adventure filled with humor and heart-pounding peril as they seek the secrets behind the treasure of the notorious pirate. Goonies never say die! © Warner. : Catch the film from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., : 828 I St., Sacramento.

THURSDAY, NOV. 3 HAWKS, HONKERS, AND HOOTS AT RIO LINDA LIBRARY: Hawks, Honkers & Hoots offer fun, interactive natural history and interesting facts about the birds of prey living in and around the Pacific Flyway. Live birds are included in the presentation along with a discovery table for an up close and personal experience with these wonderful creatures. 631 L St, Rio Linda.

COLONIAL HEIGHTS LIBRARY PRESENTS EDIBLE WILD WEEDS 101 CHANOWK & JUDITH YISRAEL: We’ve all thought weeds in our garden are nothing but trouble makers that grow in places where they “shouldn’t be”. It turns out many plants we consider to be a weed today have nourished and contributed to the survival of our ancestors for millennia through foraging and consumption. Come join us as we deconstruct and learn how to work with and use edible wild weeds. Chanowk Yisrael will discuss some basic identification tips for common weeds growing in the garden and how to manage them in your garden system. Judith Yisrael will delve into foraging tips, recipes and participants will have to chance to cook with edible wild weeds because they too have many nutritional and medicinal benefits! After this class, go home to your garden and show not only your fruits and vegetables love but also your weeds. Weed with purpose and excitement about the abundance of edible wild food everywhere! This class is free but requires registration. Funding for this program is provided by the Colonial Heights Friends of the Library. Chanowk and Judith Yisrael are urban farmers, community educators, and agents for social change. Their ½ acre farm is located in South Oak Park where they, along with their extended family, have farmed for the past eight years. In addition to urban farming, the couple and their family provides a youth development program, and no-cost backyard garden program, and a various workshops and classes on healthy eating and organic gardening. Chanowk is a board member at South Oak Park Neighborhood Association and Slow Food Sacramento. Judith serves on the board of African Americans for Balanced Health.

ceptable items include: clothing, toys, books, movies, baby equipment, furniture, strollers, high chairs, nursery decor, toddler. Admission information is: Thursday: $2; Registration required. Contact: (916) 718-6897 or email: shannoncmc@jbfsale.com; Thurs 4pm-8pm Fri 9am-1pm & 5pm-8pm Sat 9am-1pm Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation, 9040 High Tech Ct, Elk Grove, CA, 95758

NOV. 3-6 DISNEY ON ICE: PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE PRESENTED BY FELD ENTERTAINMENT AT GOLDEN 1 CENTER: Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as your tour guides on a magical globetrotting getaway as they travel to the timeless worlds of Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and the #1 animated feature film of all time, Frozen, in Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure! Celebrate some of the most memorable Disney tales and landscapes with all your favorite characters in one fun-filled ice production. Tickets are $22.75-$91; Golden 1 Center 547 L St, Sacramento, CA, 95814 Nov 3, 2016 at 07:00 pm (Thu)Nov 4, 2016 at 07:00 pm (Fri)Nov 5, 2016 at 11:00 am (Sat)Nov 5, 2016 at 03:00 pm (Sat)Nov 5, 2016 at 07:00 pm (Sat)Nov 6, 2016 at 12:00 pm (Sun)Nov 6, 2016 at 04:00 pm (Sun) * Event durations (if noted) are approximate. Please check with the presenting organization or venue to confirm start times and duration.

FRIDAY, NOV. 4 AND SATURDAY, NOV. 5 CROCKER ART MUSEUM PRESENTS THE ARTFUL TOT: Every month, toddlers explore art-making with different materials in new ways, from printmaking and color mixing to clay and fabric. Adults learn how to encourage experimentation and selfexpression while nurturing their child’s creativity. Families are welcome to arrive anytime during this drop-in program. Note: Please dress for mess. This program is for children from 19 to 36 months old and their caregivers. Admission information, is as follows: General $10, Members $7; *Includes

one child and one adult. $5 per additional person. **Fees include Museum admission.; Contact: (916) 808-7000; Artful Tot goes from 10:30 a.m. to noon both days. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento.

SATURDAY, NOV. 5 SUGAR SKULL MAKING AT SOUTHGATE LIBRARY: For ages 10 and up, attendees will learn how to make sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead and decorate them with food coloring. This workshop can accommodate up to 20 participants on a drop-in basis. 6132 66th Ave, Sacramento.

FRIDAY, NOV. 11 MILITARY FAMILY DAY AT THE SACRAMENTO ZOO: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in appreciation for our troops, all military personnel, veterans and their families receive a 50 percent discount on Zoo admission with a valid military identification card. Admissions are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Zoo grounds open until 5 p.m. 3930 West Land Park Drive; 808-5888.

SUNDAY, NOV. 13 THE CROCKER ART MUSEUM PRESENTS SUNDAY PLAYDAY: A new monthly program for children (Ages 46) and their caregivers, Sunday Playday is a gallery-based art making experience designed to support school readiness. Led by a museum educator, children will participate in a fun make-and-take project using a variety of art materials, inspired by a different artwork each month. Fun goes from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento.

Free with admission; Admission: Adults $10; Seniors (Ages 65+) $8; College students $8; Youth (Ages 7–17) $5; children (Ages 6 and under) and members free; Contact: (916) 808-7000.

ple of all ages and abilities are invited to choose and perform as many as they would like from the selection of classical and well-known compositions that include Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” (from the Messiah), Amazing Grace, and Sousa’s Stars and Stripes. This is a grand event for instrumentalists, vocalists, or spectators alike, as the Symphony of 2000 makes Sacramento history again.Tickets: $25 participation fee for instrumentalists and vocalists. Participants register online at www.sacramentoyouthsymphony.org/symphony-of-2000.

General Admission $20, Tickets available at Community Center Theater Box Office or at http://www.sacramentocommunitycentertheater.com/Events. More details are as follows: Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St. Contact: Sacramento Youth Symphony, Vicki Schaevitz, vicki@sacramentoyouthsymphony.org or at 731-5777.

FRIDAY, NOV. 25 NATIONWIDE FREE ADMISSION DAY AND CANNED FOOD DRIVE: On the day after Thanksgiving, Fairytale Town offers free admission to families who bring a canned food item for donation to the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services. The day also includes free arts and crafts activities and a Little Red Riding Hood puppet show. Note: This event is sponsored by Na-

tionwide. ADMISSION INFO: Free with canned food donation. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Puppet shows 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Fairytale Town is located at 3901 Land Park Drive, Sacramento.

Puppet show: General $2; Members $1; Contact: (916) 808-7462 or email mail@ fairytaletown.org

RECURRING EVENTS: ALL ABOARD FOR STORY TIME (NOVEMBER) PRESENTED BY CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM AT CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM: Let railroads help introduce and foster the love of reading for your little ones. This interactive and fun program is designed for imaginative young children (Ages 2-5). Museum volunteers will read a different railroad-related book each month and afterward, little ones can enjoy the Museum with their parents. Whether its toy trains or big locomotives, there is something to discover in the Museum that will thrill children of all ages. Free with admission; Adults $10; Youths (Ages 6-17) $5; Children (Ages 5 and under) Free; Contact: 445-6645 Nov 7, 2016 at 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Mon)Nov 14, 2016 at 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Mon)Nov 21, 2016 at 11:00 am 12:00 pm (Mon)Nov 28, 2016 at 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (Mon) California State Railroad Museum, 125 I Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814

SUNDAY, NOV. 20 INVITING ALL INSTRUMENTALISTS AND VOCALISTS TO PERFORM AT THE SACRAMENTO YOUTH SYMPHONY PRESENTS SYMPHONY OF 2000: The Sacramento Youth Symphony is inviting all instrumentalists and vocalists of the Sacramento Valley region to come and participate in the Symphony of 2000, a unique orchestral and choral experience. Peo-

NOV. 3-5 JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS (ELK GROVE): Just Between Friends ( JBF) offers a safe way to sell items a great prices with great consignor incentives including making 60 to 75 percent of your items’ selling price and shopping for the best bargains before the public at a Pre-Sale Party. This is a community event with hundreds of families selling their gently used kid’s stuff. AcNOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

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Winning big Two district high school theater groups take home regional awards

By Raina LeGarreta raina.egcitizen@gmail.com

Two high school drama companies from Elk Grove Unified School District won big at the 34th Annual Youth Elly Awards ceremony held at Cosumnes Oaks High School (COHS) on Sept. 11.

Theater members from COHS and Sheldon High School took home several top awards in various categories at the annual celebration that honors youth drama groups for their productions of Hairspray and The Miracle Worker, respectively.

Theater program directors from both schools recently spoke to the Citizen about what they believe made their productions stand out above the rest.

“We have a staff of 10 teachers on campus that worked on the project in one aspect or other, which really helped bring everything together,” said COHS theater director, Christina Chun. “Something unique to our company is that we also include community members who are local musicians as part of our orchestra; many of them are friends of our musical directors Mike Mangonon and Christina Ball. Also, Anne Marie Pringle, who owns Musical Mayhem Productions in Elk Grove volunteers with us and does all of the costumes.

She was also nominated for an Elly.

It’s awesome that our students get to work alongside these professionals in the industry. That’s a huge part of the strength of our program.”

The COHS theater program won awards in four categories of the Educational Musicals sector for “Hairspray,” which were: Best Choreography (Jennifer Hendrix); Best Set Design (Jason Bramham); Leading Female (Madison Wells); and Supporting Female (Gabriella Norrisse).

Chun’s take on the upbeat musical set in the early ‘60s highlighted the production’s theme of racial integration.

“Madison, who played the character of Tracy in the play, did exceptionally well; she’s actually in New York right now attending school for musical theater - and Gabrielle did a tremendous rendition of ‘I Know Where I’ve Been.’

She plays an older woman in the play and she did an absolutely phenomenal job with the song,” she said. “The theme of that song is the most prominent moment in the show, (which is when) racism in the 1960s is addressed. That is the theme really wanted to get across in

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the play. Though this was all happening almost 60 years ago the themes are still so prevalent in today’s society.”

Sheldon High School Theater’s take on “The Miracle Worker” highlighted a well-known tale based on Helen Keller’s autobiography; specifically, focusing on the relationship between Keller and Anne Sullivan, who served as a teacher for the deaf and blind woman.

“For me, it’s always a guess. I try to start out with a good vision and a good script, and ‘The Miracle Worker’ is a classic,” said Sheldon theater director, Craig Howard, who won Best Direction in the Educational Plays category. “For this one, I brought in several guest speakers from the community who gave our student actors different perspectives of being deaf or blind as background for them. This kind of added a different aspect to it all for them and helped them identify heroes who’ve overcome the odds.”

The start of each production started out with actual footage shown of Keller and Sullivan that Howard found online, which he said set the audience up for what was to come in a different way.

“The main idea I wanted to get across was that we all have tremendous abilities that sometimes go unknown or are not tapped into,” Howard said. “I also wanted to highlight the promise of a teacher who can make that difference in someone’s life; in this case, Sullivan with Keller. So many times I’ve seen kids who have so much potential easily settle for mediocrity. The underlying theme here is that we all have these tremendous abilities, and when we push ourselves we can do some heroic things with our lives.”

The director noted the lead actresses who went above and beyond in the play on a daily basis; Ashley Ladao, who played Keller and won an award for Best Leading Female - Educational Plays, and Samantha Ledal, who played Sullivan and was nominated in the same category.

“They always came super prepared and ready,” Howard said. This is a really physical play with fight scenes, rolling on the floor, etc. and they really studied hard. It’s because of their hard work that the production really excelled.”

Sheldon High School’s theater company took home five Elly Awards in the Educational Plays category, the additional awards were: Best Overall Production; Best Set Design (Larry Fox); and Best Sound Design (Fox and Howard).

Courtesy Photos

The Cosumnes Oaks High School theater company won awards in four categories for their production of Hairspray that focused on racial equality in the 1960s.

Cosumnes Oaks High School theater’s production of the musical Hairspray won Best Set Design in the category of Educational Musicals at the 34th Annual Youth Elly Awards held at the school on Sept. 11.

The Sheldon High School theater company won five awards in the Educational Plays category for their production of The Miracle Worker, including Best Overall Production.

CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide • NOVEMBER 2016

Young Actors Stage brings home 7 Elly Awards

By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com

Les Miserables, a “sung-through” production, considered by some to be the world’s longest running musical -- went down in history on a very local level on Sept. 11 at the annual Elly Awards held at Cosumnes Oaks High School.

Bringing home seven Elly Awards (and nominated for 10) for its 2016 production of Les Mis, the Young Actors Stage and director Liorah Singerman feel incredibly grateful for the recognition. “”It was icing on the cake,” Singerman said.

Although YAS has done more than 16 shows in Sacramento, this one was the first to meet all of the criteria for submission to the Elly Awards, Singerman said.

Based on Victor Hugo’s hugely successful 19th century novel of the same name, the story about broken dreams, passion, and redemption, takes place during revolutionary unrest in Paris in the early 1800s.

Songwriter Alain Boublil, along with composer Claude-Michel Schonberg, are responsible for the inspiring music, and Herbert Kretzmer and James Fenton are responsible or adapting the original French version into English. Les Miserables features a long list of wonderful songs, including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “The Innkeeper’s Song” (Master of the House), and “The People’s Song” (Do you Hear the People Sing).

Singerman has wanted to produce Les Mis for a long time. However, this musical requires a mature cast of exceptional singers, with a lot of experience.

This year, she found such a cast.

Done with two casts, including 68 kids (ages 9-18) in all, the shows, which were held back in May at the 24th Street Theatre, were well-attended, to say the least. And, the Elly Awards ceremony was no different.

“As soon as we heard word of the

NOVEMBER 2016 • CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

nominations, we spread the word as tickets can be in limited supply.

I was truly touched by the number of families that attended the show,” Singerman said.

Because Les Mis was nominated for Best Overall Production, YAS managed to put 50 of the 68 cast members on stage to perform “At the End of the Day,” “One Day More,” and the Finale from the show. “Our production lived ‘one day more’ as the kids didn’t miss a beat,” Singerman said.

Without any further ado, YAS’ seven Ellys are: Lighting and Design, Sound, Set Design, Best Actor, Musical Direction, Direction and Overall Production (2). What follows is commentary provided by Singerman regarding each of those awards.

Lighting Design “This show taught me how incredibly important light design is. Changing the focus changes everything. I think the cast would agree that during tech week the most common thing you would hear me say was: “Find your light! Find your light!”

Sound “Sound is one of the biggest challenges of every production and this honor was a particularly thrilling award because YAS has come such a long way with regards to our sound quality. This award really goes to all of the parents

and cast members who have devotedly raised money over the past 8 years so everyone could be heard.”

Set Design “I shared this award with one of our volunteer parents, Paul Nauman.

He miraculously made the vision real. Our show would not have been anything like it was without the skill, knowledge, creativity and time Paul put into designing and building the amazing sets, including a phenomenal barricade that seemed to become a character itself within the show.”

Alex Greenly (Best Actor) “Alex played the leading role of Jean Valjean. He is a truly phenomenal singer, actor and dancer who’s professionalism and maturity on and off stage helped bring the quality of the production to a new level. Alex Greenly is a name to remember. In addition to a promising career as a performer, Alex is a talented filmmaker/director, currently studying filmmaking at Chapman University.”

Musical Direction “The music of Les Miserables is undeniably amazing. We were so fortunate to have a talented cast that dedicated themselves so fully to this show. I credit much of the success of my musical direction to the fact that the cast did their homework!”

Photos by George Young

Shown here is a collection of photos from the Sept. 11 Elly Awards ceremony, in which the Young Actors Stage brought home seven awards.

Direction, and Overall Production (2 awards) “Les Miserables has always been my dream show. At the age of 14, it was the very first Broadway Show that I ever saw. It was the show that made me say, “I have to do that!”

This past May I found myself leaning out of the light booth watching my dream come true. I got to be a part of a Les Miz so full of heart, guts, unity, determination and friendship - night after night, scene by scene, one beautiful moment after another. Nothing could have been more gratifying.”

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